Electric welding system.



J. A. HEANY.

, ELECTRIC WELDING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. '7, 1912.

1,061 377. Patented May 13, 1913.-

- Ullllllllllllfi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOHN ALLEN HEANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELECTRIC WELDING SYSTEM.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN ALLEN HEANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Welding Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, .and exact description of. the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled 'in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the saine. I The present invention relates to electric welding and more particularly to so-called spot welding,-and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient' form of apparatus adapted to be operated by direct current. i

Attempts have heretofore been made to employ direct current to operate electric welding machinery, but without success ow? i'ngto the fact that the heat required to develop welding'temperature between the metal parts to be joined requires a current of relatively lowvoltage and of very high amperage, two conditions which are prac tically' impossible of realization by the employinent of direct currents-in connection with the apparatus heretofore employed. It has therefore been customary to employ alternating currents which are \passed through the primary of a transformer, having a large number of turns, which induces in the secondary of the transformer consisting of very few turns of a conductor of large size, currents of large volume and small voltage, the terminals of the secondary being connected to the welding. elec; trodes by short heavy conductors. Inasmuch as the application of a direct "current immediately to the welding electrodes is commercially impracticable, for the reasons before given,-and because of the fact that there are many times and circumstances where alternating current is not available for use in welding apparatus owing to the fact that direct current only is obtainable, it has been found necessary' to forego the recognized advantages of electric welding entirely. By means of the present inven= tion, however, it is'possible to utilize direct current from a storage battery, generator, or any other suitable and sufiicient source to operate spot weldingmachines which Specification of Letters Patent.

'a very brief interval of time and then when the current has built up to itsmaximum to suddenly, interrupt the said circuit, thereby developing a heavy kick current in the secondary of the transformer which serves to induce between the parts of the Work to be welded heat sutlicient to efi'ect the welding operation, the induced currentv b i g directed to the work and the necessary pressure applied thereto by the usual form of welding electrodes.

A simple form of apparatus for effecting the desired result is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which1 indicates the primary of a welding transformer consist-ing of many turns of relatively fine wire, and 2 indicates the secondary of the transformer which, as usual,v comprises a very fewturns of heavy conductor the terminals ofwhich are directly connected wit-h of which is movable toward and from the latter by any appropriate operating means, such' for example as the rack 5 and pinion Patented May 13, 1913. e Application filed Octoberfi, 1912. Serial No. 724,314. I I

the welding electrodes 3 and 4, the former 6, as indicated. The pieces of work to be welded together are placed between the electrodes in overlapped relation, in the usual manner, and the movable electrode brought into cont-act with the work so that j the latter is held, between the electrodes with sufficient pressure to insure an intimate and eflective spot weld when the current is applied,

7 indicates a source of direct current typified by a secondary battery, although, it is to be understood that any other appropriate source of direct current may be applied when available. current from the source 7 through the primary 1 of the welding transformer and a suitable switch or cut-out 10 is provided for permanently breaking the connection when the apparatus is not in use. Obviously, if the direct current were permitted to pass uninterruptedly' through the circuit of the pri:

Leads 8 and 9 conduct the mary 1, no practical effect would be produced thereby, for thereasonthat no current would be induced in the secondary 2. However, a secondary current will be induced in the winding 2 of the transformer Whenever the circuit from the direct source to the primary l is either made or broken. Upon. making the circuit, a relatively feeble induced current is produced in the secondary, while when the circuit is'broken after the current has reached its maximum, a relatively heavy current of brief duration is induced in the secondary, This latter current is according to the present invention rendered available for efiecting spot welding between pieces of metal held between the electrodes 3 and 4:. It is desirable, of course, to economize in the current employed, and therefore means are'provided for closing the current between the direct current source and the primary of the transformer for a time sufficient only to effect the individual welds. To this end, it is proposed to place in the circuit of the primary 1 means, preferably under thecontrol of the operator, to first establish or make the circuit and, when the current has attained its maximum, to suddenly break the circuit. This alternate making and breaking of the circuit may be effected by any appropriate switching mechanism, the operation of which may be effected or controlled by the operator, and a simple and highly efficient type of such appara tus is illustrated in the form of two overload switches 11 and 12, each of which,'associated with its trip magnet 11 and 12' respectively, is in series, in one of the circuit leads, such as 9. The switch magnets 11 and 12 are so proportioned as to trip the respective switches when the full current from the direct current source 7 passes. Under normal conditions, therefore, at least one of the.

switches 11 and 12 would be open whenever the main switch 10 is closed.

To operate the system and apparatus as described, the work is placed between the electrodes and the movable electrode adjusted to proper contact to one side of the work by the operating-connections 5 and'6, whereupon the operator grasps the handle of the particular switch 11 or 12 which is open, and

closes the switch. A direct current circuit is then established from the source 7 through both of the switches in series and through the primary 1 of the transformer and back to the said source. After a very brief interval of time, the current flowin through the circuit between the source 7 and the primary 1 reaches its maximum or attains sufiicient.

strength to cause the kick-off magnet of the overload switch, which is not held by the hand of the operative, to release the switch and break the circuit which, as indicated, induces a current of heavy amperage in the secondary 2 of the transformer, which induced current though of brief duration 'is sufficient in volume to effect a spot weld between the pieces of work. Obviously, if the weld is not completed by a single application of the induced current, it is only necessary that the operator shift his hand from the first overload switch, to the second and close the latter, holding said latter switch until the other switch is tripped by the building up of the current, when a second heavy induced current is developed in the secondary 2. After a spot weld has been perfected, the-work is advanced to another point of welding and the operation is repeated.

In the practical operation of the appa- .justedas to effect the opening of the closed switch nearly simultaneously with the closing of the open switch by the operator, in which event, it will not be necessary for the operator to retain his hold upon the handle of theswitch for any longer period than that necessary to effect the closing. Of course, it is possible to employ a single overload switch instead of two, inasmuch as the single switch would be thrown open by its'magnet about as soon as the operator released his grip on the handle of the switch, but the provision of two overload magnets prevents waste of current due to carelessness or inattention of .the operator who might hold a single switch closed longer than necessary. f

The overload switches may be of any preferred form,and preferably will be provided 110 with auxiliary carbon contacts to prevent the deleterious effects of arcing at. the

switch points at the time of the break.

What I claim is 1. An electric welding system comprising 115 a direct current supply, a'welding transformer, circuit connectlons between the primary of sald transformer and said supply, and auto-manual means for breaking the circuit to said primary and thereby inducing a momentary welding current in the secondary.

-2. An electric Welding system comprising a direct current supply, a welding trans- 3. An electricwelding system comprising 136 former, circuit connections between the primary of said transformer and said supply, v

for first making and then breaking said 10 circuit at desired intervals.-

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ALLEN HEANY.

Witnesses:

FRED. B. MOLAREN, CHAS. J. ONEmL. 

